THE WIKE BLOG

KEEPING YOU INFORMED

​Do You Know Your Awesome Cargo Bike Type? - September 10, 2016

The word cargo bike immediately brings to mind, well, cargo and bike. Cargo in this case being a load of something or other. But cargo bikes are extraordinarily versatile vehicles that can be used in any number of ways. Think a cargo bike won’t fit your lifestyle? Take a look at our cargo bike types and think again!

Commuter

You’re a responsible urban citizen. You know that cars take up an inordinate amount of road and parking space and cause a significant amount of pollution. You also love the health benefits of cycling to work. Perhaps most of all, cycling to work can often be just as fast, if not faster, than driving a car in our gridlocked cities.

But a cargo biker you are not. Or are you? Think carefully about your route. Do you pass the grocery store? Do you pass the day care? Or some other place that you might visit regularly with your car? Because let’s face it, cycling to work and then driving halfway back there to get groceries seems a little…inefficient.

If you can double up on some errands on your commute, you might be a cargo bike commuter!

You’re living the dream! A nice house, semi, apartment, or condo in the downtown of a city with a rich arts and culture scene. And kids! Two lovely cherubs bursting with energy and always ready to explore what’s around the corner. The only issue? That car! Sitting there 95% of the time doing nothing. Costing money that could be better spent on paying down your mortgage, museum passes for the family, or even day care.

But give up the car? I mean, it’s such a handy thing to have. To tote the kids to grandma’s house. To get the groceries. To haul the kids to said day care.

Enter the cargo bike. Significantly cheaper to buy and no insurance or gas bills. And maintenance and repairs are a fraction of a fraction of the minivan you were convinced you needed.

And I’ll throw in one extra little “bonus” on top of all that: no need to haul other people’s kids around. Now that’s a little self serving but you know that a big minivan means you’re in the perfect position to pick up your kid and all your kid’s friends as well. Only have a cargo bike and a Smart car in the garage? Well, maybe Don down the road can take those six friends to the amusement park outside town.

Selfish? Well, just a little bit. But hey, you’re saving the environment and making the air easier to breathe for everyone! Fair trade?

The Worker

You’re vehicle is your workhorse. You’re hauling materials and goods here and there. You may have a little car because you do local deliveries. You may even be looking for a unique business idea that lends itself to a cargo bike. Some to consider:

A delivery service for those with limited mobility - Bring books, food, or even friends to their place.

A landscaping service - Those looking to landscape their yards are already pre-disposed to the greener side of life. Take it all the way.

Food bike - Food trucks are all the rage so why not create a food bike? Get particularly inventive and use your pedals to power a blender of coffee grinder.

And those are just a few ideas. Use your imagination and see which service could lend itself to an entrepreneurial spirit with a cargo bike.

The freedom and joy that come from bike riding are pretty much unmatched. Whether as a rider or passenger, there’s just something downright enjoyable about being on a bike. Because box bikes have three wheels they are naturally more stable than two-wheeled versions. The added stability can be very helpful for those with some mobility issues. For those with more severe mobility issues, cargo bikes can be used as passenger bikes as well. Either way, mobility is increased.

And there you have it! Four cargo bike types. Can you think of any other ones?